Archive for September, 2009

Since when is giving blood a human right? This man deliberately lied about his sexual activity in order to give blood – 18 times! Here is a quote from the National Post:

According to court discoveries, Mr. Freeman said he donated blood in 2002 after not donating blood for some time as a “political statement.”

I see. So he stopped giving blood as a political statement, then since that wasn’t getting enough attention, he decided to lie about his risk factors, and start giving blood again. Why? Here’s another quote:

“I felt the benefit of giving blood would outweigh the political position of Blood Services.”

Giving blood is not a right, Mr. Freeman. How dare you put waving the rainbow flag over and above my right to a safe blood supply. I think the National Post editorial has got it right:

Mr. Freeman’s vanity litigation must not be allowed to prevail. Blood donation is not a human right akin to voting, as Mr. Freeman seems to presume. It is an act of civic altruism that permits the lives of sick and injured Canadians to be saved. Yet Mr. Freeman seeks to give blood in a situation where medical professionals have gauged that the medical risk to public health exceeds the medical benefit. Apparently, he believes societal validation of his sexual orientation is more important than public health — that waving the rainbow flag is more important than protecting the blood supply. What a repellent commentary on the excesses of identity politics.

What on earth were you thinking? The Senior Kindergarten class in my kids’ school has four autistic children in it, three of whom are “runners”, with various and sundry other high needs children, in a class of 21, with ONE teacher’s aid. The poor teacher is also dealing with severe arthritis. How is closing autism units helping the autistic kids? How is this fair to the other children in the classroom? Putting the autistic children in a special class with teachers who have special training isn’t warehousing them – dumping the poor kids in a classroom with inadequate support is. Honestly, I wonder how you can sleep at night.